UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-K

 

 (Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014

or

 

 

Commission File Number 1-10560

 

BENCHMARK ELECTRONICS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

3000 Technology Drive

Angleton, Texas 77515

(979) 849-6550

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of principal executive offices)

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes [Ö] No [  ]

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes [  ] No [Ö] 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes [Ö] No [  ]

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter periods that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Yes [Ö]  No [  ]

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [Ö] 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b–2 of the Act.

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b–2 of the Act).

Yes [  ] No [Ö] 

 

As of June 30, 2014, the number of outstanding Common Shares was 53,958,612. As of such date, the aggregate market value of the Common Shares held by non-affiliates, based on the closing price of the Common Shares on the New York Stock Exchange on such date, was approximately $1.4 billion.

 

As of February 25, 2015, there were 52,658,067 Common Shares of Benchmark Electronics, Inc., par value $0.10 per share, outstanding.

Documents Incorporated by Reference:

 

Portions of the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (Part III, Items 10-14).

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

PART I

 

Item 1.  Business. 

 

This annual report (the Report) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are identified as any statement that does not relate strictly to historical or current facts and include words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “projection,” “forecast,” “strategy,” “position,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” or the negative or other variations thereof them. In particular, statements, whether express or implied, concerning future operating results or the ability to generate sales, income or cash flow are forward-looking statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are beyond our ability to control or predict, including those discussed under Item 1A of this Report. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes, including the future results of our operations, may vary materially from those indicated.

 

The Company’s fiscal year ends on December 31. Consequently, references to 2014 relate to the calendar year ended December 31, 2014; references to 2013 relate to the year ended December 31, 2013, etc.

 

General

 

Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (Benchmark), a Texas corporation, began operations in 1979 and has become a worldwide provider of integrated electronic manufacturing services. In this Report, references to Benchmark, the Company or use of the words “we”, “our” and “us” include the subsidiaries of Benchmark unless otherwise noted.

 

We provide our services to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of industrial control equipment (including equipment for the aerospace and defense industry), telecommunication equipment, computers and related products for business enterprises, medical devices, and testing and instrumentation products. Our services are commonly referred to as electronics manufacturing services (EMS).

 

We offer our customers comprehensive and integrated design and manufacturing services—from initial product design to volume production including direct order fulfillment and post-deployment services. Our operations comprise three principal areas:

 

·         Manufacturing and assembly operations, which include printed circuit boards and subsystem assembly, box build and systems integration, the process of integrating subsystems and, often, downloading and integrating software, to produce a fully configured product.

·         Precision technology manufacturing, which complements our proven electronic manufacturing expertise by providing further vertical integration of critical mechanical components. These capabilities include precision machining, advanced metal joining, assembly and functional testing for multiple industries including medical, instrumentation, aerospace and semiconductor capital equipment.

·         Specialized engineering services, which include product design, printed circuit board layout, prototyping, automation and test development.

 

Our core strength lies in the manufacturing process for large, complex, high-density printed circuit boards, as well as the ability to manufacture high- and low-volume products in lower cost regions such as China, Malaysia, Mexico, Romania and Thailand. Our global manufacturing presence increases our ability to respond to our customers’ needs by providing accelerated time-to-market and time-to-volume production of high-quality products.

 

These capabilities enable us to build strong strategic relationships with our customers and to become an integral part of their operations.

 

 

Our customers face challenges in planning, procuring and managing their inventories efficiently due to fluctuations in their customer demand, product design changes, short product life cycles and component price fluctuations. We employ enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to manage the procurement and manufacturing processes in an efficient and cost-effective manner so that, where possible, components arrive on a just-in-time, as-and-when-needed basis. We are a significant purchaser of electronic components and other raw materials and can capitalize on the economies of scale associated with our relationships with suppliers to negotiate price discounts, obtain components and other raw materials that are in short supply, and return excess components. Our expertise in supply chain management and our relationships with suppliers across the supply chain enable us to help reduce our customers’ cost of goods sold and inventory exposure.

 

Benchmark’s worldwide facilities include 1.6 million square feet in our domestic facilities in Alabama, Arizona, California, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Texas; and 2.2 million square feet in our international facilities in China, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Romania and Thailand.

 

We have enhanced our capabilities through acquisitions and through internal expansion:

·         In June 2013, we acquired Suntron Corporation (the Suntron Acquisition) to better serve customers in the aerospace and defense industries.

·         In October 2013, we acquired the full-service EMS segment of CTS Corporation (the CTS Acquisition). The CTS Acquisition expanded our portfolio of customers in non-traditional and highly regulated markets and strengthened the depth and scope of our new product express capabilities on the West Coast.

·         In 2011, we acquired facilities and other assets to expand our precision technology capabilities in Penang, Malaysia.

·         In 2009, we added precision machining assets and capabilities in Arizona, California and Mexico through a business acquisition, and leased a larger facility in Brasov, Romania that expanded our manufacturing capacity in Eastern Europe.

 

Our global operations currently include manufacturing facilities in seven countries.

 

We believe our primary competitive advantages are our design, manufacturing, testing and supply chain management capabilities provided by a highly skilled team of personnel. We offer our customers flexible manufacturing solutions throughout the life cycle of their products. These solutions provide accelerated time-to-market, time-to-volume production, and reduced production costs. Working closely with our customers and responding promptly to their needs, we become an integral part of their operations.

 

Our Industry

 

Outsourcing enables OEMs to concentrate on what they believe to be their core strengths, such as new product definition, marketing and sales. Beginning in the 1990s, the EMS industry changed rapidly as an increasing number of OEMs outsourced their manufacturing requirements. In recent years, the number of industries served by EMS providers and their market penetration in certain industries has increased, and we believe further growth opportunities exist for EMS providers to penetrate the worldwide electronics markets. In 2001 and again in 2008, the industry’s revenue declined as a result of significant cutbacks in customers’ production requirements, consistent with overall global economic downturns; however, OEMs have continued to turn to outsourcing to reduce product cost, achieve accelerated time-to-market and time-to-volume production, access advanced design and manufacturing technologies, improve inventory management and purchasing power, and reduce their capital investment in manufacturing resources.

 

Our Strategy

 

 

Our goal is to be the EMS outsourcing provider of choice to leading OEMs in the electronics industry that we perceive from time to time to offer the greatest potential for growth. To meet this goal, we have implemented the following strategies:

 

·         Focus on High-End Products in Growth Industries. EMS providers produce products for a wide range of OEMs in different industries, such as consumer electronics, internet-focused businesses and information technology equipment. The product scope ranges from easy-to-assemble, low-cost, high-volume products targeted for the consumer market to complicated, state-of-the-art, mission-critical electronic hardware targeted for military, medical and other high-end computer use. Similarly, OEMs’ customers range from consumer-oriented companies that compete primarily on price and redesign their products every year to manufacturers of high-end telecommunications equipment and computer and related products for business enterprises that compete on technology and quality. We currently offer state-of-the-art products for industry leaders who require specialized engineering design and production services, as well as high-volume manufacturing capabilities to our customer base. Our ability to offer both of these types of services enables us to expand our business relationships.

 

·         Maintain and Develop Close, Long-Term Relationships with Customers. Our core strategy is to establish long-term relationships with leading OEMs in expanding industries by becoming an integral part of their manufacturing operations. To accomplish this, we work closely with our customers throughout the design, manufacturing and distribution process, and we offer flexible and responsive services. We rely on our local management teams to respond to frequently changing customer design specifications and production requirements, which develops stronger customer relationships.

 

·         Deliver Complete High- and Low-Volume Manufacturing Solutions Globally. OEMs increasingly require a wide range of specialized engineering and manufacturing services from EMS providers in order to reduce costs and accelerate their time-to-market and time-to-volume production. Building on our integrated engineering and manufacturing capabilities, we offer services from initial product design and test to final product assembly and distribution to OEM customers. Our systems integration assembly and direct order fulfillment services allow our customers to reduce product cost and risk of product obsolescence by reducing their total work-in-process and finished goods inventory. These services are available at many of our manufacturing locations. In 2009, we added precision machining assets and capabilities to provide precision machining, metal joining and complex electromechanical manufacturing services in Arizona, California and Mexico. In 2011, we acquired facilities and other assets to expand our precision technologies capabilities in Penang, Malaysia. This expansion added sheet metal and frames fabrication services, advanced metal joining and grinding services, along with complex mechanical assembly and machining services to our Asia service offerings. All of these full service capabilities allow us to offer customers the flexibility to move quickly from design and initial product introduction to production and distribution. We offer our customers the opportunity to combine the benefits of low-cost manufacturing (for the portions of their products or systems that can benefit from the use of these geographic areas) with the benefits and capabilities of our higher complexity support of systems integration in Asia, Europe and the United States.

 

·         Leverage Advanced Technological Capabilities. In addition to traditional strengths in manufacturing large, complex high-density printed circuit boards and systems, we offer customers specialized and tailored advanced design, technology and manufacturing solutions for their primary products. We provide this engineering expertise through our design capabilities at our design centers and our advanced technology process development in each of our facilities. We believe our capabilities help our customers utilize cutting-edge technologies to improve product performance and reduce costs.

 

·         Continue to Seek Cost Savings and Operational Excellence. We seek to optimize all of our facilities to provide cost-efficient services for our customers. This is done through our culture of continuous improvement, sharing best practices and implementing lean principles. We also provide operations in

 

lower-cost locations to further offer cost saving solutions to our customers. These sites include China, Malaysia, Mexico, Romania and Thailand.

 

·         Continue Our Global Focus. A network of strategically positioned facilities can reduce costs, simplify and shorten an OEM’s supply chain and provide regional solutions, thus reducing the time it takes to bring products to market. We are committed to maintaining our global focus in order to support our customers with cost-effective and timely delivery of quality products and services worldwide.

 

·         Pursue Strategic Acquisitions. Our capabilities have continued to grow through acquisitions and we will continue to selectively seek acquisition opportunities. In addition to expanding our global footprint, our acquisitions have enhanced our business in the following ways:

 

-        enhanced customer growth opportunities;

-        developed strategic relationships;

-        broadened service offerings;

-        provided vertical solutions;

-        diversified into new market sectors; and

-        added experienced management teams.

 

We believe that growth by selective acquisitions is critical for achieving the scale, flexibility and breadth of customer services required to remain competitive in the EMS industry.

 

Services We Provide

 

We offer a wide range of engineering, automation, test, manufacturing and fulfillment solutions that support our customers’ products from initial design through prototyping, design validation, testing, ramp-to-volume production, worldwide distribution and aftermarket support. We support all of our service offerings with supply chain management systems, superior quality program management and sophisticated information technology systems. Our comprehensive service offerings enable us to provide a complete solution for our customers’ outsourcing requirements.

 

 

 

Engineering Solutions

Our approach is to coordinate and integrate our design, prototype and other engineering capabilities. Through this approach, we provide a broad range of engineering services and, in some cases, dedicated production lines for prototypes. These services strengthen our relationships with manufacturing customers and attract new customers requiring specialized engineering services.

 

·    New Product Design, Prototype, Test and Related Engineering Solutions. We offer a full spectrum of new product design, automation, test development, prototype and related engineering solutions. Our concurrent engineering approach shortens product development cycles and gives our customers a competitive advantage in time-to-market and time-to-profit. Our multi-disciplined engineering teams provide expertise in a number of core competencies critical to serving OEMs in our target markets, including award-winning industrial design, mechanical and electrical hardware, firmware, software and systems integration and support. We create specifications, designs and quick-turn prototypes, and validate and ramp our customers’ products into high-volume manufacturing.

 

·    Custom Test and Automation Equipment Design and Build Solutions. We provide our customers a comprehensive range of custom automated test equipment, functional test equipment, process automation and replication solutions. We have expertise in tooling, testers, equipment control, systems planning, automation, floor control, systems integration, replication and programming. Our custom functional test equipment, process automation and replication solutions are available to our customers as part of our full service product design and manufacturing solutions package or on a stand-alone basis for products designed and manufactured elsewhere. We also provide custom test equipment and automation system solutions to OEMs. Our ability to provide these solutions allows us to capitalize on OEMs’ increasing needs for custom manufacturing solutions and provides an additional opportunity for us to introduce these customers to our comprehensive engineering and manufacturing services.

 

Manufacturing and Fulfillment Solutions

As OEMs seek to provide greater functionality in smaller products, they increasingly require sophisticated manufacturing technologies and processes. Our investment in advanced manufacturing equipment and process development, as well as our experience in innovative packaging and interconnect technologies, enable us to offer a variety of advanced manufacturing solutions. These packaging and interconnect technologies include:

 

·    Printed Circuit Board Assembly & Test. We offer a wide range of printed circuit board assembly and test solutions, including printed circuit board assembly, assembly of subsystems, circuitry and functionality testing of printed assemblies, environmental and stress testing and component reliability testing.

 

·    Flex Circuit Assembly & Test. We provide our customers with a wide range of flex circuit assembly and test solutions. We utilize specialized tooling strategies and advanced automation procedures to minimize circuit handling and ensure that consistent processing parameters are maintained throughout the assembly process.

 

·    Systems Assembly & Test. We work with our customers to develop product-specific test strategies. Our test capabilities include manufacturing defect analysis, in-circuit tests to test the circuitry of the board and functional tests to confirm that the board or assembly operates in accordance with its final design and manufacturing specifications. We either custom design test equipment and software ourselves or use test equipment and software provided by our customers. We also offer our own internally designed functional test solutions for cost effective and flexible test solutions, and provide environmental stress tests of assemblies of boards or systems.

 

We also have expertise in advanced precision and electromechanical technologies, micro-electronics and optical manufacturing services. In order to meet our customers’ demand for systems assembly and test solutions, we offer subassembly build, final assembly, functionality testing, configuration and software installation and final packaging

 

services.

 

Precision Electromechanical Assembly and Test. We offer a full spectrum of precision subsystem and system integration services. These services include assembly, configuration and testing of industrial control equipment (which includes equipment for the aerospace and defense industry), telecommunication equipment, complex computers and related products for business enterprises, medical devices, and testing and instrumentation products. We design, develop and build product specific manufacturing processes utilizing manual, mechanized or fully automated lines to meet our customers’ product volume and quality requirements. All of our assembly and test processes are developed according to customer specifications and replicated within our facilities. Product life cycle testing services are provided such as Ongoing Reliability Testing where units are continuously cycled for extended testing while monitoring for early-life failures.

 

Failure Analysis. We offer an array of analytical solutions and expertise to challenging issues that face our customers. This includes focused techniques for failure mode, failure mechanism, and root cause determination. Specialized analytical skill sets associated with electrical, mechanical, and metallurgical disciplines are used in conjunction with a vast array of equipment such as ion chromatography, x-ray florescence, and scanning electron microscopy. Our state-of-the-art lab facilities provide customers with detailed reporting and support in an unbiased, timely and cost-effective manner. Mastering emerging technologies coupled with a complete understanding of potential failure mechanisms positions us to exceed customer expectations and maintain our technological diversity.

 

Direct Order Fulfillment. We provide direct order fulfillment for some of our OEM customers. Direct order fulfillment involves receiving customer orders, configuring products to quickly fill the orders and delivering the products either to the OEM, a distribution channel or directly to the end customer. We manage our direct order fulfillment processes using a core set of common systems and processes that receive order information from the customer and provide comprehensive supply chain management, including procurement and production planning. These systems and processes enable us to process orders for multiple system configurations and varying production quantities, including single units. Our direct order fulfillment services include build-to-order (BTO) and configure-to-order (CTO) capabilities. BTO involves building a complete system in real-time to a highly customized configuration ordered by the OEM’s end customer. CTO involves configuring systems to an end customer’s specifications at the time the product is ordered. The end customer typically places this order by choosing from a variety of possible system configurations and options. We are capable of meeting a 2- to 24-hour turnaround time for BTO and CTO. We support our direct order fulfillment services with logistics that include delivery of parts and assemblies to the final assembly site, distribution and shipment of finished systems, and processing of customer returns.

 

Aftermarket Non-Warranty Services. We provide our customers a range of aftermarket non-warranty services, including repair, replacement, refurbishment, remanufacturing, exchange, systems upgrade and spare part manufacturing throughout a product’s life cycle. These services are tracked and supported by specific information technology systems that can be tailored to meet our customers’ individual requirements.

 

Value-Added Support Systems.  We support our engineering, manufacturing, distribution and aftermarket support services with an efficient supply chain management system and a superior quality management program. Our value-added support services are primarily implemented and managed through web-based information technology systems that enable us to collaborate with our customers throughout all stages of the engineering, manufacturing and order-fulfillment processes.

 

Supply Chain Management. Our inventory-management and volume-procurement capabilities contribute to assurance of supply and cost reductions, and reduce total cycle time. Our materials strategy is focused on leveraging our procurement volume company-wide while providing local execution for maximum flexibility at the division level. In addition, our systems integration facilities have developed material processes required to support system integration operations.

 

 

We utilize a full complement of electronic data interchange transactions with our suppliers to coordinate forecasts, orders, reschedules, and inventory and component lead times. Our enterprise resource planning systems provide product and production information to our supply chain management, engineering change management and floor control systems. Our information systems include a proprietary module that controls serialization, production and quality data for all of our facilities around the world using state-of-the-art statistical process control techniques for continuous process improvements. To enhance our ability to rapidly respond to changes in our customers’ requirements by effectively managing changes in our supply chain, we utilize web-based interfaces and real-time supply chain management software products, which allow for scaling operations to meet customer needs, shifting capacity in response to product demand fluctuations, reducing materials costs and effectively distributing products to our customers or their end-customers.

 

Manufacturing Technologies. We offer our customers expertise in a wide variety of traditional and advanced manufacturing technologies. Our technical expertise supports standard printed circuit board assembly, as well as complex products that require advanced engineering skills and equipment.

 

We also provide our customers with a comprehensive set of manufacturing technologies and solutions, which include:

·    Pin Thru Hole;

·    Surface Mount Technology;

·    Fine Pitch;

·    Ball Grid Array and Land Grid Array;

·    Part on Part;

·    Flip Chip;

·    Chip On Board/Wire Bonding;

·    In-Circuit Test;

·    Board Level Functional Test; and

·    Stress Testing.

 

We also provide specialized solutions in support of our customers’ components, products and systems, which include:

·    Adhesives; 

·    Conformal Coating;

·    Ultrasonic Welding;

·    Splicing and Connectorization for Optical Applications;

·    Hybrid Optical/Electrical Printed Circuit Board Assembly and Testing; and

·    Sub-Micron Alignment of Optical Sub-Assemblies.

 

Through our Component Engineering Services, we help customers deal with evolving international environmental laws and regulations on content, packaging, labeling and similar issues concerning the environmental impact of their products including: “RoHS” (EU Directive 2011/65/EUC on Restriction of certain Hazardous Substances); “WEE” (EU Directive 2002/96/EC on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment); “REACH” (EC Regulation No 1907/2006 on Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals); EU Member States’ Implementation of the foregoing; and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Measures for Administration of the Pollution Control of Electronic Information Products of 2006. Manufacturing sites in the Americas, Asia and European regions are certified in both water soluble and no-clean processes and are currently producing products that are compliant with these environmental laws and regulations.

 

Precision Technologies. We provide precision machining, metal joining and complex electromechanical manufacturing services and utilize the following precision technologies:

·    Complex Small / Medium / Large Computer Numerical Controlled Machining;

·    Precision Multi-Axis Grinding of Aerospace Engine Blades, Vanes and Nozzles;

 

·    Precision Grinding of Mass Spectrometer Components;

·    Sinker Electrical Discharge Machining;

·    Turnkey Precision Clean Room Module Assembly and Functional Test;

·    Major Electromechanical Sub Assembly;

·    Laser Welding; and

·    Advanced Metal Joining.

 

Marketing and Customers

 

We market our services primarily through a direct sales force and, in select markets, independent marketing representatives. In addition, our divisional and executive management teams are an integral part of our sales and marketing teams. We generally enter into supply arrangements with our customers. These arrangements, similar to purchase orders, generally govern the conduct of our business with customers relating to, among other things, the manufacture of products which in many cases were previously produced by the customer. Such arrangements generally identify the specific products to be manufactured, quality and production requirements, product pricing and materials management. There can be no assurance that at any time these arrangements will remain in effect or be renewed.

 

Our key customer accounts are supported by a dedicated team, including a global account manager who is directly responsible for account management. Global account managers coordinate activities across divisions to effectively satisfy customer requirements and have direct access to our executive management to quickly address customer concerns. Local customer account teams further support the global teams and are linked by a comprehensive communications and information management infrastructure. In addition, our executive management is heavily involved in customer relations and devotes significant attention to broadening existing and developing new customer relationships.

 

The following table sets forth the percentages of our sales by industry for 2014,  2013  and 2012. 

 

 

 

Seasonality

 

Seasonality in our business has historically been driven by customer and product mix, particularly the industries that our customers serve. Although we have historically experienced higher sales during the fourth quarter, this pattern does not repeat itself every year. In addition, we typically experience our lowest sales volume in the first quarter of each year.

 

Suppliers

 

We maintain a network of suppliers of components and other materials used in our operations. We procure components when a purchase order or forecast is received from a customer and occasionally utilize components or other materials for which a supplier is the single source of supply. If any of these single-source suppliers were unable to provide these materials, a shortage of components could temporarily interrupt our operations and lower our profits until an alternate component could be identified and qualified for use. Although we experience component shortages and longer lead times for various components from time to time, we have generally been able to reduce the impact of component shortages by working with customers to reschedule deliveries, with suppliers to provide the needed components using just-in-time inventory programs, or by purchasing components at somewhat higher prices from distributors rather than directly from manufacturers. In addition, by developing long-term relationships with suppliers, we have been better able to minimize the effects of component shortages compared to manufacturers without such relationships. The goal of these procedures is to reduce our inventory risk.

 

Backlog

 

We had sales backlog of approximately $1.6 billion at December 31, 2014, as compared to the 2013 year-end backlog of $1.7 billion. Backlog consists of purchase orders received, including, in some instances, forecast requirements released for production under customer contracts. Although we expect to fill substantially all of our year-end backlog during 2015, we do not currently have long-term agreements with all of our customers, and customer orders can be canceled, changed or delayed. The timely replacement of canceled, changed or delayed orders with orders from new customers cannot be assured, nor can there be any assurance that any of our current customers will continue to utilize our services. Because of these factors, our backlog is not a meaningful indicator of future financial results.

 

Competition

 

The services we provide are available from many independent sources as well as from the in-house manufacturing capabilities of current and potential customers. Our competitors include Celestica Inc., Flextronics International Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Jabil Circuit, Inc., Plexus Corp and Sanmina Corporation, who may be more established in the industry and have substantially greater financial, manufacturing or marketing resources than we do. We believe that the principal competitive factors in our targeted markets are engineering capabilities, product quality, flexibility, cost and timeliness in responding to design and schedule changes, reliability in meeting product delivery schedules, pricing, technological sophistication and geographic location.

 

In addition, in recent years, original design manufacturers (ODMs) that provide design and manufacturing services to OEMs have significantly increased their share of outsourced manufacturing services provided to OEMs in markets such as notebook and desktop computers, personal computer motherboards, and consumer electronic products. Competition from ODMs may increase if our business in these markets grows or if ODMs expand further into or beyond these markets.

 

 

Sustainability

 

Benchmark is committed to being a responsible corporate citizen. We use the term “sustainability” to describe our long-term approach to social, economic and environmental responsibilities that achieve our business objectives and contribute to a more sustained world. Our sustainability priorities include:

·         upholding the principle of human rights and observing fair labor practices within our organization and our supply chain;

·         protecting the environment by conserving energy and natural resources and preventing pollution through appropriate management technology and practices;

·         ensuring ethical organizational governance; and

·         applying fair, transparent and accountable operating practices.

 

All Benchmark manufacturing facilities are either currently certified or undergoing certification to ISO 14001. We have endorsed the Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition Code of Conduct, and flowed specific requirements to our supply chain through our contracts, Purchase Order Terms and Conditions, Supplier Assurance Manual, and Supplier Code of Conduct.

 

Governmental Regulation

 

Our operations, and the operations of businesses that we acquire, are subject to certain foreign, federal, state and local regulatory requirements relating to security clearance, trade compliance, anticorruption, environmental, waste management, and health and safety matters. We seek to operate in compliance with all applicable requirements. However, significant costs and liabilities may arise from these requirements or from new, modified or more stringent requirements, which could affect our earnings and competitive position. In addition, our past, current and future operations, and those of businesses we acquire, may give rise to claims of exposure by employees or the public or to other claims or liabilities relating to environmental, waste management or health and safety concerns.

 

We periodically generate and temporarily handle limited amounts of materials that are considered hazardous waste under applicable law. We contract for the off-site disposal of these materials and have implemented a waste management program to address related regulatory issues.

 

Employees

 

As of December 31, 2014, we employed 10,940 people, of whom 7,919 were engaged in manufacturing and operations, 1,612 in materials control and procurement, 538 in design and development, 291 in marketing and sales, and 580 in administration. None of our domestic employees are represented by a labor union. In certain international locations, our employees are represented by labor unions and by works councils. Some European countries also often have mandatory legal provisions regarding terms of employment, severance compensation and other conditions of employment that are more restrictive than U.S. laws. We have never experienced a strike or similar work stoppage, and we believe that our employee and labor relations are good.

 

Segments and International Operations

 

We have manufacturing facilities in the Americas, Asia and Europe regions to serve our customers. Benchmark is operated and managed geographically, and management evaluates performance and allocates resources on a geographic basis. We currently operate outside the United States in China, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Romania and Thailand. During 2014, 2013 and 2012, 53%, 51% and 50%, respectively, of our sales were from our international operations. See Note 9 and Note 13 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Report for segment and geographical information.

 

Available Information

 

 

Our internet address is http://www.bench.com. We make available free of charge through our internet website our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing such material with, or furnishing it to, the SEC. All reports we file with the SEC are also available free of charge via EDGAR through the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov or to read and copy at the SEC Public Reference Room located at 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549. Information can be obtained on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

 

Item 1A.   Risk Factors.

 

The following risk factors should be read carefully when reviewing the Company’s business, the forward-looking statements contained in this Report, and the other statements the Company or its representatives make from time to time. Any of the following factors could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, operating results, financial condition and the actual results of the matters addressed by the forward-looking statements.

 

Adverse market conditions in the electronics industry could reduce our future sales and earnings per share.

 

Uncertainty over the erosion of global consumer confidence amidst concerns about declining asset values, inflation, volatile energy costs, geopolitical issues, the availability and cost of credit, rising unemployment, and the stability and solvency of financial institutions, financial markets, businesses, and sovereign nations has slowed global economic growth and resulted in recessions in many countries, including in the United States, Europe and certain countries in Asia over the past several years. Even though we have seen signs of an overall economic recovery, such recovery may be weak and/or short-lived and recessionary conditions may return. If any of these potential negative economic conditions occur, they may result in lower spending by businesses in the future, which may affect demand for our customers’ products and adversely affect our sales. Consequently, our past operating results, earnings and cash flows may not be indicative of our future operating results, earnings and cash flows.

 

In addition to our customers or potential customers reducing or delaying orders, a number of other negative effects on our business could materialize, including the insolvency of key suppliers, which could result in production delays, shorter payment terms from suppliers due to reduced availability of credit default insurance in the market, the inability of customers to obtain credit, and the insolvency of one or more customers. Any of these effects could impact our ability to effectively manage inventory levels and collect receivables, increase our need for cash, and decrease our net revenue and profitability.

 

We are exposed to general economic conditions, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition.

 

Our business is cyclical and has experienced economic and industry downturns. If economic conditions or demand for our customers’ products deteriorate, we may experience a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition.

 

In cases where the evidence suggests a customer may not be able to satisfy its obligation to us, we establish reserves in an amount we determine appropriate for the perceived risk. There can be no assurance that our reserves will be adequate. If the financial condition of our customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional receivable and inventory reserves may be required and restructuring charges may be incurred.

 

Shortages or price increases of components specified by our customers would delay shipments and adversely affect our profitability.

 

Substantially all of our sales are derived from manufacturing services in which we purchase components specified

 

by our customers. In the past, supply shortages have substantially curtailed production of all assemblies using a particular component and industry-wide shortages of electronic components, particularly of memory and logic devices, have occurred. For example, the 2011  earthquake and tsunami in Japan disrupted the global supply chain for certain components manufactured in Japan that were incorporated in the products we manufactured, and the 2011 Thailand flood had a similar impact. Any such component shortages may result in delayed shipments, which could have an adverse effect on our profit margins. Also, because of the continued increase in demand for surface mount components, we anticipate component shortages and longer lead times for certain components to occur from time to time. Also, we may bear the risk of component price increases that occur between periodic re-pricings of product during the term of a customer contract. Accordingly, certain component price increases could adversely affect our gross profit margins.

 

We are dependent on the success of our customers. When our customers experience a downturn in their business, we may be similarly affected.

 

We are dependent on the continued growth, viability and financial stability of our customers. Our customers are OEMs of:

 

·    industrial control equipment;

·    telecommunication equipment;

·    computers and related products for business enterprises;

·    medical devices; and

·    testing and instrumentation products.

 

These industries are subject to rapid technological change, vigorous competition, short product life cycles and consequent product obsolescence. When our customers are adversely affected by these factors, we may be similarly affected.

 

The loss of a major customer would adversely affect us.

 

Historically, a substantial percentage of our sales have been made to a small number of customers. The loss of a major customer, if not replaced, would adversely affect us. Sales to our ten largest customers represented 50%, 53% and 56% of our sales in 2014, 2013  and 2012, respectively. In 2014, sales to Arris Group, Inc. and International Business Machines Corporation each represented 11% of our sales. Our future sales are dependent on the success of our customers, some of which operate in businesses associated with rapid technological change and consequent product obsolescence. Developments adverse to our major customers or their products, or the failure of a major customer to pay for components or services, could have an adverse effect on us.

 

We expect to continue to depend on the sales to our largest customers and any material delay, cancellation or reduction of orders from these customers or other significant customers would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, we generate significant accounts receivable in connection with providing manufacturing services to our customers. If one or more of our customers were to become insolvent or otherwise unable to pay for the manufacturing services provided by us, our operating results and financial condition would be adversely affected.

 

Most of our customers do not commit to long-term production schedules, which makes it difficult for us to schedule production and achieve maximum efficiency of our manufacturing capacity.

 

The volume and timing of sales to our customers vary due to:

 

·    changes in demand for our customers’ products;

·    our customers’ attempts to manage their inventory;

·    design changes;

 

·    changes in our customers’ manufacturing strategies; and

·    acquisitions of, or consolidations among, customers.

 

Due in part to these factors, most of our customers do not commit to firm production schedules for more than one quarter in advance. Our inability to forecast the level of customer orders with certainty makes it difficult to schedule production and maximize utilization of manufacturing capacity. In the past, we have been required to increase staffing and other expenses in order to meet the anticipated demand of our customers. Anticipated orders from many of our customers have, in the past, failed to materialize or delivery schedules have been deferred as a result of changes in our customers’ business needs, thereby adversely affecting our results of operations. On other occasions, our customers have required rapid increases in production, which have placed an excessive burden on our resources. Such customer order fluctuations and deferrals have had a material adverse effect on us in the past, and may again in the future. A business downturn resulting from any of these external factors could have a material adverse effect on our operating income. See Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Item 7 of this Report.

 

Our customers may cancel their orders, change production quantities, delay production or change their sourcing strategies.

 

EMS providers must provide increasingly rapid product turnaround for their customers. We generally do not obtain firm, long-term purchase commitments from our customers, and we continue to experience reduced lead-times in customer orders. Customers may cancel their orders, change production quantities, delay production or change their sourcing strategy for a number of reasons. The degree of success or failure of our customers’ products in the market affects our business. Cancellations, reductions, delays or changes in the sourcing strategy by a significant customer or by a group of customers could negatively impact our operating income.

 

In addition, we make significant decisions, including determining the levels of business that we will seek and accept, production schedules, component procurement commitments, personnel needs, capital expenditures and other resource requirements, based on our estimate of customer requirements. The short-term nature of our customers’ commitments and the possibility of rapid changes in demand for their products impede our ability to accurately estimate the future requirements of those customers.

 

On occasion, customers require rapid increases in production, which can stress our resources and reduce operating margins. In addition, because many of our costs and operating expenses are relatively fixed, a reduction in customer demand can harm our gross profits and operating results. See Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Item 7 of this Report.

 

 

 

We may encounter significant delays or defaults in payments owed to us by customers for products we have manufactured or components that are unique to particular customers.

 

We structure our agreements with customers to mitigate our risks related to obsolete or unsold inventory. However, enforcement of these contracts may result in material expense and delay in payment for inventory. If any of our significant customers become unable or unwilling to purchase such inventory, our business may be materially harmed. See Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Item 7 of this Report.

 

Our international operations may be subject to certain risks.

 

During 2014, 2013  and 2012, 53%, 51% and 50%, respectively, of our sales were from our international operations. These international operations are subject to a number of risks, including:

 

·    difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations;

·    coordinating communications and logistics across geographic distances and multiple time zones;

·    less flexible employee relationships, which complicate meeting demand fluctuations and can be difficult and expensive to terminate;

·    political and economic instability (including acts of terrorism and outbreaks of war), which could impact our ability to ship and/or receive product;

·    changes in government policies, regulatory requirements and laws, which could impact our business;

·    longer customer payment cycles and difficulty collecting accounts receivable;

·    export duties, import controls and trade barriers (including quotas);

·    governmental restrictions on the transfer of funds;

·    risk of governmental expropriation of our property;

·    burdens of complying with a wide variety of foreign laws and labor practices, including various and changing minimum wage regulations;

·    fluctuations in currency exchange rates, which could affect component costs, local payroll, utility and other expenses; and

·    inability to utilize net operating losses incurred by our foreign operations to reduce our U.S. income taxes.

 

In addition, several of the countries where we operate have emerging or developing economies, which may be subject to greater currency volatility, negative growth, high inflation, limited availability of foreign exchange and other risks. Additionally, some of our operations are in developing countries. Certain events, including natural disasters, can impact the infrastructure of a developing country more severely than they would impact the infrastructure of a developed country. A developing country can also take longer to recover from such events, which could lead to delays in our ability to resume full operations. These factors may harm our results of operations, and any measures that we may implement to reduce the effect of volatile currencies and other risks of our international operations may not be effective. In our experience, entry into new international markets requires considerable management time as well as start-up expenses for market development, hiring and establishing office facilities before any significant revenues are generated. As a result, initial operations in a new market may operate at low margins or may be unprofitable.

 

Additionally, certain foreign jurisdictions, as well as the U.S. government, restrict the amount of cash that can be transferred to the U.S or impose taxes and penalties on such transfers of cash. To the extent we have excess cash in foreign locations that could be used in, or is needed by, our operations in the United States, we may incur significant penalties and/or taxes to repatriate these funds.

 

Another significant legal risk resulting from our international operations is compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). In many foreign countries, particularly in those with developing economies, it may be a local custom that businesses operating in such countries engage in business practices that are prohibited by the

 

FCPA, other U.S. laws and regulations, or similar laws of host countries and related anti-bribery conventions. Although we have implemented policies and procedures designed to comply with the FCPA and similar laws, there can be no assurance that all of our employees, agents, or those companies to which we outsource certain of our business operations, will not take actions in violation of our policies. Any such violation, even if prohibited by our policies, could have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

We operate in a highly competitive industry; if we are not able to compete effectively in the EMS industry, our business could be adversely affected.

 

We compete against many providers of electronics manufacturing services. Some of our competitors have substantially greater resources and more geographically diversified international operations than we do. Our competitors include large independent manufacturers such as Celestica Inc., Flextronics International Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Jabil Circuit, Inc., Plexus Corp and Sanmina Corporation. In addition, we may in the future encounter competition from other large electronic manufacturers that are selling, or may begin to sell, electronics manufacturing services.

 

We also face competition from the manufacturing operations of our current and future customers, who are continually evaluating the merits of manufacturing products internally against the advantages of outsourcing to EMS providers. In addition, in recent years, ODMs that provide design and manufacturing services to OEMs, have significantly increased their share of outsourced manufacturing services provided to OEMs in several markets, such as notebook and desktop computers, personal computer motherboards, and consumer electronic products. Competition from ODMs may increase if our business in these markets grows or if ODMs expand further into or beyond these markets.

 

During periods of recession in the electronics industry, our competitive advantages in the areas of quick turnaround manufacturing and responsive customer service may be of reduced importance to electronics OEMs, who may become more price sensitive. We may also be at a competitive disadvantage with respect to price when compared to manufacturers with lower cost structures, particularly those with more offshore facilities located where labor and other costs are lower.

 

We experience intense competition, which can intensify further as more companies enter the markets in which we operate, as existing competitors expand capacity and as the industry consolidates. The availability of excess manufacturing capacity at many of our competitors creates intense pricing and competitive pressure on the EMS industry as a whole and Benchmark in particular. To compete effectively, we must continue to provide technologically advanced manufacturing services, maintain strict quality standards, respond flexibly and rapidly to customers’ design and schedule changes and deliver products globally on a reliable basis at competitive prices. Our inability to do so could have an adverse effect on us.

 

 

The integration of acquired operations may pose difficulties for us.

 

Our capabilities have continued to grow through acquisitions, and we may pursue additional acquisitions over time. These acquisitions involve risks, including:

 

·    integration and management of the operations;

·    retention of key personnel;

·    integration of purchasing operations and information systems;

·    retention of the customer base of acquired businesses;

·    management of an increasingly larger and more geographically disparate business;

·    the possibility that past transactions or practices may lead to future commercial or regulatory risks; and 

·    diversion of management’s attention from other ongoing business concerns.

 

Our profitability will suffer if we are unable to successfully integrate an acquisition, or if we do not achieve sufficient revenue to offset the increased expenses associated with these acquisitions.

 

We may experience fluctuations in quarterly results.

 

Our quarterly results may vary significantly depending on various factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include:

 

·    the volume of customer orders relative to our capacity;

·    customer introduction and market acceptance of new products;

·    changes in demand for customer products;

·    seasonality in demand for customer products;

·    pricing and other competitive pressures;

·    the timing of our expenditures in anticipation of future orders;

·    our effectiveness in managing manufacturing processes;

·    changes in cost and availability of labor and components;

·    changes in our product mix;

·    changes in political and economic conditions; and

·    local factors and events that may affect our production volume, such as local holidays or natural disasters.

 

Additionally, as is the case with many high technology companies, a significant portion of our shipments typically occur in the last few weeks of a given quarter. Accordingly, sales shifts from quarter to quarter may not be readily apparent until the end of a given quarter, and may have a significant effect on reported results.

 

Start-up costs and inefficiencies related to new or transferred programs can adversely affect our operating results and such costs may not be recoverable if the new programs or transferred programs are cancelled.

 

Start-up costs, the management of labor and equipment resources in connection with the establishment of new programs and new customer relationships, and the need to estimate required resources in advance can adversely affect our gross margins and operating results. These factors are particularly evident in the early stages of the life cycle of new products and new programs or program transfers and in the opening of new facilities. These factors also affect our ability to efficiently use labor and equipment. We are currently managing a number of new programs. If any of these new programs or new customer relationships were terminated, our operating results could be harmed, particularly in the short term. We may not be able to recoup these start-up costs or replace anticipated new program revenues.

 

We may be affected by consolidation in the electronics industry, which could create increased pricing and competitive pressures on our business.

 

 

Consolidation in the electronics industry could result in an increase in excess manufacturing capacity as companies seek to close plants or take other steps to increase efficiencies and realize synergies of mergers. The availability of excess manufacturing capacity could create increased pricing and competitive pressures for the EMS industry as a whole and our business in particular. In addition, consolidation could also result in an increasing number of very large electronics companies offering products in multiple sectors of the electronics industry. The growth of these large companies, with significant purchasing and marketing power, could also result in increased pricing and competitive pressures for us. Accordingly, industry consolidation could harm our business. We may need to increase our efficiencies to compete and may incur additional restructuring charges.

 

We are subject to the risk of increased taxes.

 

We base our tax position upon the anticipated nature and conduct of our business and upon our understanding of the tax laws of the various countries in which we have assets or conduct activities. Our tax position, however, is subject to review and possible challenge by taxing authorities and to possible changes in law. We cannot determine in advance the extent to which some jurisdictions may assess additional tax or interest and penalties on such additional taxes.

 

Several countries where we operate allow for tax holidays or provide other tax incentives to attract and retain business. We have obtained holidays or other incentives where available. Our taxes could increase if certain tax holidays or incentives are retracted, or if they are not renewed upon expiration, or tax rates applicable to us in such jurisdictions are otherwise increased. In addition, further acquisitions may cause our effective tax rate to increase. Given the scope of our international operations and our international tax arrangements, proposed changes to the manner in which U.S. based multinational companies are taxed in the U.S. could have a material impact on our financial results and competitiveness.

 

We are exposed to intangible asset risk; our goodwill may become further impaired.

 

We have recorded intangible assets, including goodwill, in connection with business acquisitions. We are required to assess goodwill and intangible assets for impairment at least on an annual basis and whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable from estimated future cash flows. A significant and sustained decline in our market capitalization could result in material charges in future periods that could be adverse to our operating results and financial position. As of December 31, 2014, we had $46.0 million in goodwill and $19.6 million of identifiable intangible assets. See Note 1(i) to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Report.

 

There are inherent uncertainties involved in estimates, judgments and assumptions used in the preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Any changes in estimates, judgments and assumptions could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

 

The consolidated financial statements included in the periodic reports we file with the SEC are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP). The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP involves making estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets (including intangible assets), liabilities and related reserves, revenues, expenses and income. Estimates, judgments and assumptions are inherently subject to change in the future, and any such changes could result in corresponding changes to the amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and income. Any such changes could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

 

Any litigation, even where a claim is without merit, could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources.

 

 

In the past, we have been notified of claims relating to various matters including intellectual property rights, contractual matters, labor issues or other matters arising in the ordinary course of business. In the event of any such claim, we may be required to spend a significant amount of money and resources, even where the claim is without merit. Accordingly, the resolution of such disputes, even those encountered in the ordinary course of business, could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated financial conditions and results of operations.

 

Our success will continue to depend to a significant extent on our key personnel.

 

We depend significantly on our executive officers and other key personnel. The unexpected loss of the services of any one of these executive officers or other key personnel could have an adverse effect on us.

 

If we are unable to maintain our technological and manufacturing process expertise, our business could be adversely affected.

 

The market for our manufacturing services is characterized by rapidly changing technology and continuing process development. We are continually evaluating the advantages and feasibility of new manufacturing processes. We believe that our future success will depend upon our ability to develop and provide manufacturing services which meet our customers’ changing needs. This requires that we maintain technological leadership and successfully anticipate or respond to technological changes in manufacturing processes on a cost-effective and timely basis. Our failure to maintain our technological and manufacturing process expertise could have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

Our stock price is volatile.

 

Our common shares have experienced significant price volatility, which may continue in the future. The price of our shares could fluctuate widely in response to a range of factors, including our financial results and changing conditions in the economy generally or in our industry in particular. In addition, stock markets generally experience significant price and volume volatility from time to time which may affect the market price of our shares for reasons unrelated to our performance.

 

 

Provisions in our governing documents and state law may make it harder for others to obtain control of our company.

 

Certain provisions of our governing documents and the Texas Business Organizations Code may delay, inhibit or prevent someone from gaining control of our company through a tender offer, business combination, proxy contest or some other method, even if shareholders might consider such a development beneficial. These provisions include:

 

·         a provision in our certificate of formation granting the Board of Directors authority to issue preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the relative rights and preferences of such preferred stock;

·         provisions in our bylaws restricting shareholders from acting by less than unanimous written consent and requiring advance notification of shareholder nominations and proposals;

·         a provision in our bylaws restricting anyone, other than the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Board of Directors or the holders of at least 10% of all outstanding shares entitled to vote, from calling a special meeting of the shareholders;

·         a statutory restriction on the ability of shareholders to take action by less than unanimous written consent; and

·         a statutory restriction on business combinations with some types of interested shareholders.

 

Compliance or the failure to comply with environmental regulations could cause us significant expense.

 

We are subject to a variety of federal, state, local and foreign environmental laws and regulations relating to environmental, waste management, and health and safety concerns, including the handling, storage, discharge and disposal of hazardous materials used in or derived from our manufacturing processes. If we or companies we acquire have failed or fail in the future to comply with such laws and regulations, then we could incur liabilities and fines and our operations could be suspended. Such laws and regulations could also restrict our ability to modify or expand our facilities, could require us to acquire costly equipment, or could impose other significant expenditures. In addition, our operations may give rise to claims of property contamination or human exposure to hazardous chemicals or conditions.

 

Our worldwide operations are subject to local laws and regulations. Over the last several years, we have become subject to the RoHS directive and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. These directives restrict the distribution of products containing certain substances, including lead, within applicable geographies and require a manufacturer or importer to recycle products containing those substances.

 

These directives affect the worldwide electronics and electronics components industries as a whole. If we or our customers fail to comply with such laws and regulations, we could incur liabilities and fines and our operations could be suspended.

 

In addition, as climate change issues become more prevalent, the U.S. and foreign governments are beginning to respond to these issues. This increasing governmental focus on climate change may result in new environmental regulations that may negatively affect us, our suppliers and our customers. This could cause us to incur additional direct costs or obligations in complying with any new environmental regulations, as well as increased indirect costs resulting from our customers, suppliers or both incurring additional compliance costs that get passed on to us. These costs may adversely impact our operations and financial condition.

 

 

Our business may be adversely impacted by geopolitical events.

 

As a global business, we operate and have customers located in many countries. Geopolitical events such as terrorist acts may affect the overall economic environment and negatively impact the demand for our customers’ products or our ability to ship or receive products. As a result, customer orders may be lower and our financial results may be adversely affected.

 

Our business may be adversely impacted by natural disasters.

 

Some of our facilities, including our corporate headquarters, are located in areas that may be impacted by hurricanes, earthquakes, water shortages, tsunamis, floods, typhoons, fires, extreme weather conditions and other natural or manmade disasters. Our insurance coverage with respect to natural disasters is limited and is subject to deductibles and coverage limits. Such coverage may not be adequate, or may not continue to be available at commercially reasonable rates and terms. For example, we have been unable to renew or otherwise obtain adequate cost-effective flood insurance to cover assets at our facilities in Thailand as a result of the flooding that occurred in 2011. We continue to monitor the insurance market in Thailand. In the event we were to experience a significant uninsured loss in Thailand or elsewhere, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

In addition, some of our facilities possess certifications necessary to work on specialized products that our other locations lack. If work is disrupted at one of these facilities, it may be impractical, or we may be unable, to transfer such specialized work to another facility without significant costs and delays. Thus, any disruption in operations at a facility possessing specialized certifications could adversely affect our ability to provide products and services to our customers, and thus negatively affect our relationships and financial results.

 

We may be exposed to interest rate fluctuations.

 

We will have exposure to interest rate risk under our variable rate revolving credit facilities to the extent we incur indebtedness under such facilities. These facilities’ interest rates are based on the spread over the bank’s prime rate or LIBOR. We are also exposed to interest rate risk on our invested cash balances.

 

Changes in financial accounting standards or policies have affected, and in the future may affect, our reported financial condition or results of operations. Additionally, changes in securities laws and regulations have increased, and are likely to continue to increase, our operating costs.

 

We prepare our financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP. These principles are subject to interpretation by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the SEC and various bodies formed to interpret and create appropriate accounting policies. A change in those policies can have a significant effect on our reported results and may affect our reporting of transactions that are completed before a change is announced. Changes to those rules or the questioning of how we interpret or implement those rules may have a material adverse effect on our reported financial results or on the way we conduct business. For example, although not yet currently required, we could be required to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), which is different from U.S. GAAP.

 

In addition, in connection with our Section 404 certification process, we may identify from time to time deficiencies in our internal controls. Any material weakness or deficiency in our internal controls over financial reporting could materially and negatively impact our reported financial results and the market price of our stock. Additionally, adverse publicity related to the disclosure of a material weakness or deficiency in internal controls over financial reporting could have a negative impact on our reputation, business and stock price.

 

Finally, corporate governance, public disclosure and compliance practices continue to evolve based upon continuing legislative action, agency rulemaking and stockholder advisory group policies. As a result, the number of rules and

 

regulations applicable to us may increase, which would also increase our legal and financial compliance costs and the amount of time management must devote to compliance activities. For example, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act contains provisions to improve transparency and accountability concerning the supply of certain minerals originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and adjoining countries that are believed to be benefitting armed groups. As a result, the SEC adopted new due diligence, disclosure and reporting requirements for companies which manufacture products that include components containing such minerals, regardless of whether the minerals are mined in the DRC or adjoining countries. These requirements may decrease the acceptable sources of supply of such minerals, increase their cost and disrupt our supply chain if we need to obtain components from different suppliers. Since we manufacture products containing such minerals for our customers, we are required to comply with these rules. As the method of complying with the new regulation is unclear, the compliance process may become time-consuming and costly. Failure to comply with this new regulation could result in additional costs (including but not limited to, fines or penalties) as well as affect our reputation. Increasing regulatory burdens could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain members of our board of directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee, and executive officers in light of an increase in actual or perceived workload and liability for serving in such positions.

 

Energy price increases may negatively impact our results of operations.

 

Certain of the components that we use in our manufacturing activities are petroleum-based. In addition, we, along with our suppliers and customers, rely on various energy sources (including oil) in our transportation activities. While significant uncertainty currently exists about the future levels of energy prices, a significant increase is possible. Increased energy prices could cause an increase to our raw material costs and transportation costs. In addition, increased transportation costs of certain of our suppliers and customers could be passed along to us. We may not be able to increase our product prices enough to offset these increased costs. In addition, any increase in our product prices may reduce our future customer orders and profitability.

 

Introducing programs requiring implementation of new competencies, including new process technology within our mechanical operations, could affect our operations and financial results.

 

The introduction of programs requiring implementation of new competencies, including new process technology within our mechanical operations, presents challenges in addition to opportunities. Deployment of such programs may require us to invest significant resources and capital in facilities, equipment and/or personnel. We may not meet our customers’ expectations or otherwise execute properly or in a cost-efficient manner, which could damage our customer relationships and result in remedial costs or the loss of our invested capital and anticipated revenues and profits. In addition, there are risks of market acceptance and product performance that could result in less demand than anticipated and our having excess capacity. The failure to ensure that our agreed terms appropriately reflect the anticipated costs, risks, and rewards of such an opportunity could adversely affect our profitability. If we do not meet one or more of these challenges, our operations and financial results could be adversely affected.

 

If our manufacturing processes and services do not comply with applicable regulatory requirements, or if we manufacture products containing design or manufacturing defects, demand for our services may decline and we may be subject to liability claims.

 

We manufacture and design products to our customers’ specifications, and, in some cases, our manufacturing processes and facilities may need to comply with applicable regulatory requirements. For example, medical devices that we manufacture or design, as well as the facilities and manufacturing processes that we use to produce them, are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and non-U.S. counterparts of this agency. Similarly, items we manufacture for customers in the defense and aerospace industries, as well as the processes we use to produce them, are regulated by the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Authority, which have increased their focus and penalties related to counterfeit materials. In addition, our customers’ products and the manufacturing processes or documentation that we use to produce them often are highly complex. As a result, products that we manufacture may at times contain manufacturing or design defects, and our manufacturing processes may be subject to errors or

 

not be in compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. Defects in the products we manufacture or design, whether caused by a design, manufacturing or component failure or error, or deficiencies in our manufacturing processes, may result in delayed shipments to customers or reduced or cancelled customer orders. If these defects or deficiencies are significant, our business reputation may also be damaged. The failure of the products that we manufacture or our manufacturing processes and facilities to comply with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements may subject us to legal fines or penalties and, in some cases, require us to shut down or incur considerable expense to correct a manufacturing process or facility. In addition, these defects may result in liability claims against us or expose us to liability to pay for the recall of a product. The magnitude of such claims may increase as we expand our medical and aerospace and defense manufacturing services, as defects in medical devices and aerospace and defense systems could seriously harm or kill users of these products and others. Even if our customers are responsible for the defects, they may not, or may not have resources to, assume responsibility for any costs or liabilities arising from these defects, which could expose us to additional liability claims.

 

Customer relationships with emerging companies may present more risks than with established companies.

 

Customer relationships with emerging companies present special risks because such companies do not have an extensive product history. As a result, there is less demonstration of market acceptance of their products, making it harder for us to anticipate needs and requirements than with established customers. In addition, due to the current economic environment, additional funding for such companies may be more difficult to obtain and these customer relationships may not continue or materialize to the extent we planned or we previously experienced. This tightening of financing for start-up customers, together with many start-up customers’ lack of prior operations and unproven product markets increase our credit risk, especially in trade accounts receivable and inventories. Although we perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers and adjust our allowance for doubtful accounts receivable for all customers, including start-up customers, based on the information available, these allowances may not be adequate. This risk may exist for any new emerging company customers in the future.

 

We are subject to breach of our security systems.

 

We have implemented security systems to secure our physical facilities and protect our confidential information, as well as that of our customers and suppliers. Information technology plays an ever-increasing role in today’s business; we maintain some of our information systems, but also rely on third parties for a portion of our needs. The recent successes of sophisticated hackers have been well publicized and, despite our efforts, we are subject to breach of security systems, which could result in unauthorized access to our facilities and the information we are trying to protect. If unauthorized parties gain physical access to one of our facilities or electronic access to our information systems, or if information is misdirected, lost or stolen during transmission or transport, any theft or misuse of such information could result, among other things, in unfavorable publicity, governmental inquiry and oversight, difficulty in marketing our services, allegations of contractual breach, litigation by affected parties and possible financial obligations for damages related to the theft or misuse of the information, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our profitability and cash flow. In addition, we rely on our information systems to run our business; despite our efforts to create appropriate redundancies and ensure continuous information flow, even simple failures in these systems resulting from  natural disasters or facility damage can lead to supply or production interruptions that result in lost profits, contractual penalties and reputational damage.

 

The risk of uninsured losses will be borne by Benchmark.

 

As a result of the massive flooding in the Fall of 2011, we have been unable to renew or otherwise obtain cost-effective flood insurance to adequately cover assets at our facilities in Thailand. We continue to monitor the insurance market in Thailand. We maintain insurance on all our properties and operations—including our assets in Thailand—for risks and in amounts customary in the industry. While such insurance includes general liability, property & casualty, and directors & officers liability coverage, not all losses are insured, and we retain certain risks of loss through deductibles, limits and self-retentions. In the event we were to experience a significant uninsured loss in Thailand or elsewhere, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results

 

of operations.

 

Item 1B.  Unresolved Staff Comments.

 

None.

 

Item 2.  Properties.

 

Our customers market numerous products throughout the world and therefore need to access manufacturing services on a global basis. To enhance our EMS offerings, we seek to locate our facilities either near our customers and our customers’ end markets in major centers for the electronics industry or, where appropriate, in lower cost locations. Many of our plants located near customers and their end markets are focused primarily on final system assembly and test, while plants located in lower cost areas are engaged primarily in less complex component and subsystem manufacturing and assembly.

 

The following chart summarizes the approximate square footage of our principal manufacturing facilities by country:

 

 

Our principal manufacturing facilities consist of 1,901,000 square feet in facilities that we own, with the remaining 1,644,000 square feet in leased facilities whose terms expire between 2015 and 2021.We lease other facilities with a total of 15,000 square feet dedicated to engineering and procurement services. We also have 264,000 square feet of space in leased facilities and 45,000 square feet in owned facilities that we plan to exit in 2015. We are currently attempting to sublease or terminate leases for these facilities. 

 

Item 3.  Legal Proceedings.

 

We are involved in various legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

 

Item 4.  Mine Safety Disclosures.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 5.  Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

 

Our common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “BHE.” The following table shows the high and low sales prices for our common shares as reported on the New York Stock Exchange for the quarters (or portions thereof) indicated.

 

The last reported sale price of our common shares on February 25, 2015, as reported by the New York Stock Exchange, was $23.59. There were approximately 735 record holders of our common shares as of February 25, 2015.

 

We have not paid any cash dividends on our common shares in the past. In addition, our credit facility includes restrictions on the amount of dividends we may pay to shareholders. We currently expect to retain future earnings for use in the operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

 

 

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

The following table provides information about the Company’s repurchase of its equity securities that are registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act during the quarter ending December 31, 2014, at a total cost of $18.8 million:

 

 

                             

⁽¹⁾ All share repurchases were made on the open market.

 

⁽²⁾    Average price paid per share is calculated on a settlement basis and excludes commission.

 

⁽³⁾    On June 13, 2012, and again on December 4, 2014, the Board of Directors approved the repurchase of up to $100 million of the Company’s outstanding common shares (the 2012 Repurchase Program and the 2014 Repurchase Program, respectively). Share purchases may be made in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions or block transactions, at the discretion of the Company’s management and as market conditions warrant. Purchases will be funded from available cash and may be commenced, suspended or discontinued at any time without prior notice. Shares repurchased under the program will be retired.

 

During 2014, the Company repurchased a total of 1.9 million common shares for $43.8 million at an average price of $23.51 per share. All share purchases were made in the open market and the shares repurchased in 2014 were retired.

 

 

Performance Graph

 

The following Performance Graph compares the cumulative total shareholder return on our common shares for the five‑year period commencing December 31, 2009 and ending December 31, 2014, with the cumulative total return of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index (which does not include Benchmark), and the Peer Group Index, which is composed of Celestica Inc., Flextronics International, Ltd., Jabil Circuit, Inc., Plexus Corp and Sanmina Corporation. Dividend reinvestment has been assumed.

 

 

 

NOTES: Assumes $100 invested on December 31, 2009 in Benchmark Electronics, Inc. Common Shares, in the S&P 500, and in the Peer Group Index. Reflects month-end dividend reinvestment.

 

Item 6.  Selected Financial Data.

 

 

(1)       See Note 16 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of the restructuring charges and integration and acquisition-related charges occurring in 2014, 2013 and 2012. During 2011 and 2010, the Company recognized restructuring totaling $4.5 million and $6.7 million related to reductions in workforce and the resizing and closure of certain facilities.

(2)       See Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of Thailand flood-related items, net of insurance.

(3)       During the fourth quarter of 2014, the Company recorded a $1.5 million gain on the sale of its Tianjin, China subsidiary, including its manufacturing facility which had been held for sale since 2008. During the second quarter of 2013, the Company recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $3.8 million related to this facility. Also during the second quarter of 2013, the Company disposed a non-manufacturing facility in Thailand for $1.6 million resulting in a gain of $1.2 million.

(4)       See Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of income taxes. During the third quarter of 2011, the Company reduced its deferred tax valuation allowance by $17.5 million in the U.S. and, at the same time, increased its valuation allowance by $1.2 million in foreign jurisdictions.

(5)       See Note 1(j) to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the basis of computing earnings per share.

 

Item 7.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

 

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto in Item 8 of this Report. You should also bear in mind the Risk Factors set forth in Item 1A, any of which could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, operating results, financial condition and the actual results of the matters addressed by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion.

 

2014 HIGHLIGHTS

 

Sales for 2014 were $2.8 billion, a 12% increase from sales of $2.5 billion in 2013. The overall increase in sales related primarily to increased demand from existing customers, including new programs, new customers and the impact of the Suntron and CTS Acquisitions.

 

Our gross profit as a percentage of sales increased to 7.9% for 2014 from 7.4% in the same period of 2013, primarily due to higher sales volumes, changes in the mix of programs and the impact of our acquisitions. We experience fluctuations in gross profit from period to period. Different programs contribute different gross profits depending on factors such as the types of services involved, location of production, size of the program, complexity of the product and level of material costs associated with the various products. Moreover, new programs can contribute relatively less to our gross profit in their early stages when manufacturing volumes are usually lower, resulting in inefficiencies and unabsorbed manufacturing overhead costs. In addition, a number of our new and higher volume programs remain subject to competitive constraints that could exert downward pressure on our margins. During periods of low production volume, we generally have idle capacity and reduced gross profit.

 

We have undertaken initiatives to restructure our business operations with the intention of improving utilization and realizing cost savings in the future. During 2014, the Company recognized $6.1 million (pre-tax) of integration and acquisition-related costs, primarily related to integration costs of the CTS Acquisition, and $1.0 million (pre-tax) of restructuring charges in connection with reductions in workforce of certain facilities primarily in the Americas.

 

 

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

The following table presents the percentage relationship that certain items in our Consolidated Statements of Income bear to sales for the periods indicated. The financial information and the discussion below should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto in Item 8 of this Report.

 

2014 Compared With 2013

 

Sales

 

As noted above, sales increased 12% in 2014. The percentages of our sales by industry was as follows:

 

Industrial Control Equipment. 2014 sales increased 19% to $845.9 million from $712.4 million in 2013 primarily as a result of increased demand from existing customers, including new programs, and the impact of the Suntron and CTS Acquisitions.

 

Telecommunication Equipment. 2014 sales increased 39% to $807.2 million from $579.8 million in 2013. The increase was primarily due to new programs, increased demand from existing customers and the impact of the CTS Acquisition.

 

Computers and Related Products for Business Enterprises. 2014 sales decreased 22% to $577.1 million from $737.4 million in 2013. The decrease was primarily due to the timing of program transitions as well as lower demand from our customers.

 

Medical Devices. 2014 sales increased 10% to $310.7 million from $281.7 million in 2013 primarily as a result of new programs, and, to a lesser extent, the impact of the CTS Acquisition.

 

Testing and Instrumentation Products. 2014 sales increased 31% to $256.2 million from $195.2 million in 2013 primarily due to new programs, improvement in the semiconductor industry, and the impact of the Suntron Acquisition.

 

 

Sales to our ten largest customers represented 50% and 53% of our sales in 2014 and 2013, respectively. In 2014, sales to Arris Group, Inc. and International Business Machines Corporation each represented 11% of our sales. In 2013, sales to International Business Machines Corporation, the only customer to account for more than 10% of our net sales, represented 17% of our sales. Sales to this customer decreased to $312.6 million in 2014 compared to $430.2 million in 2013 primarily due to the timing of new program ramps and product transitions, as well as market uncertainty in the global economy, which reduced demand.

 

Our international operations are subject to the risks of doing business abroad. See Item 1A for factors pertaining to our international sales and fluctuations in the exchange rates of foreign currency and for further discussion of potential adverse effects in operating results associated with the risks of doing business abroad. During 2014 and 2013, 53% and 51%, respectively, of our sales were from our international operations.

 

We had a backlog of approximately $1.6 billion at December 31, 2014, as compared to the 2013 year-end backlog of $1.7 billion. Backlog consists of purchase orders received, including, in some instances, forecast requirements released for production under customer contracts. Although we expect to fill substantially all of our backlog at December 31, 2014 during 2015, we do not have long-term agreements with all of our customers and customer orders can be canceled, changed or delayed by customers. The timely replacement of canceled, changed or delayed orders with orders from new customers cannot be assured, nor can there be any assurance that any of our current customers will continue to utilize our services. Because of these factors, backlog is not a meaningful indicator of future financial results.

 

Gross Profit

 

Gross profit increased 18% to $219.9 million for 2014 from $186.5 million in 2013 due primarily to an increase in sales. Our 2014 gross profit as a percentage of sales increased to 7.9% from 7.4% in 2013 primarily due to higher sales volume, changes in the mix of programs and the impact of the acquisitions. We experience fluctuations in gross profit from period to period. Different programs contribute different gross profits depending on factors such as the types of services involved, location of production, size of the program, complexity of the product and level of material costs associated with the various products. Moreover, new programs can contribute relatively less to our gross profit in their early stages when manufacturing volumes are usually lower, resulting in inefficiencies and unabsorbed manufacturing overhead costs. In addition, a number of our new and higher volume programs remain subject to competitive constraints that could exert downward pressure on our margins. During periods of low production volume, we generally have idle capacity and reduced gross profit.

 

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased to $115.7 million in 2014 from $99.3 million in 2013. The increase in selling, general and administrative expenses is primarily associated with the Suntron and CTS acquisitions, support of increased sales volumes and a $2.7 million charge for provisions to accounts receivable associated with the bankruptcy filing of our former customer, GT Advance Technologies, on October 6, 2014. Selling, general and administrative expenses, as a percentage of sales, were 4.1% and 4.0%, respectively, for 2014 and 2013. Excluding the provisions to accounts receivable associated with the referenced bankruptcy, SG&A, as a percentage of sales, was 4.0% in both 2014 and 2013.

 

 

Restructuring Charges and Integration and Acquisition-Related Costs

 

During 2014, we recognized $7.1 million of restructuring charges and integration and acquisition-related costs primarily related to integration costs of the CTS Acquisition. In 2013, we recognized $9.3 million in restructuring charges and integration and acquisition-related costs primarily related to the closure of our Brazil and Singapore facilities and the acquisitions of Suntron and CTS. See Notes 2 and 16 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Report.

 

Thailand Flood-Related Items

 

Our facilities in Ayudhaya, Thailand flooded and remained closed from October 13, 2011 to December 20, 2011. As a result of the flooding and temporary closing of these facilities, we incurred property losses and flood related costs during 2012 and 2011, which were partially offset by insurance recoveries. During 2014, Thailand flood-related items resulted in a gain of $1.6 million of insurance proceeds. The recovery process with our insurance carriers is complete. During 2013, Thailand flood-related items resulted in a gain of $41.3 million. See Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Report.

 

Asset Impairment Charge and Other

 

We disposed of our Tianjin, China subsidiary in 2014, which included a non-manufacturing facility, for $5.7 million, resulting in a gain of $1.5 million. In  2013, we had recognized a non-cash asset impairment charge of $3.8 million related to the Tianjin facility and disposed of a non-manufacturing facility in Thailand for $1.6 million resulting in a gain of $1.2 million.

 

Income Tax Expense

 

Income tax expense of $17.4 million represented an effective tax rate of 17.4% for 2014, compared with $5.0 million that represented an effective tax rate of 4.3% for 2013. We had a tax incentive in China that expired at the end of 2012, but was extended in the first quarter of 2014 until 2015 and retroactively applied to the 2013 calendar year. The tax adjustment for the $1.2 million retroactive incentive for 2013 was recorded as a discrete tax benefit as of March 31, 2014. In 2013, we recorded a discrete U.S. tax benefit of $17.5 million related to reduced valuation allowance on U.S. net operating losses and other deferred tax assets and a discrete tax benefit of approximately $0.8 million related to the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA) consisting of research and experimentation credits and decreases in U.S. taxable income related to previously taxed foreign transactions. The ATRA retroactively restored the research and experimentation credit and other U.S. income tax benefits for 2012 and extends these provisions through the end of 2013. Excluding these tax items, the effective tax rate would have been 18.7% in 2014 compared to 19.1% in 2013. The decrease in the effective tax rate results primarily from higher taxable income in geographies with lower tax rates.

 

We have been granted certain tax incentives, including tax holidays, for our subsidiaries in China, Malaysia and Thailand that will expire at various dates, unless extended or otherwise renegotiated, through 2015 in China, 2016 in Malaysia, and 2026 in Thailand. See Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Report.

 

The Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 was enacted on December 19, 2014 and retroactively extended the research and experimentation (R&E) tax credit for 2014. As a result, our income tax provision for the fourth quarter of 2014 includes a tax benefit of approximately $0.9 million. This R&E tax credit has not been extended for 2015 and may increase the effective tax rate in future years by a similar amount if not extended.

 

 

Net Income

 

We reported net income of $82.4 million, or $1.52 per diluted share for 2014, compared with net income of $111.2 million, or $2.03 per diluted share for 2013. The net decrease of $28.7 million in 2014 was due to the factors discussed above.

 

2013 Compared With 2012

 

Sales

 

Sales in both 2013 and 2012 were $2.5 billion. The following table sets forth the percentages of our sales by industry.

 

Computers and Related Products for Business Enterprises. Sales in 2013 decreased 4% to $737.4 million from $771.5 million in 2012. The decrease was primarily due to the timing of program ramps and product transitions as well as market uncertainty in the global economy, which led to lower demand from our existing customers.

 

Industrial Control Equipment. Sales in 2013 increased 10% to $712.4 million from $648.4 million in 2012 primarily as a result of new customers, new programs and the impact of the acquisitions of Suntron and CTS.

 

Telecommunication Equipment. Sales in 2013 decreased 9% to $579.8 million from $637.9 million in 2012. The decrease was primarily due to lower demand from our customers and timing of program ramps and transitions somewhat offset by the impact of the CTS acquisition. In addition, in 2012, our telecommunication sector had a strong rebound as a result of the recovery from the Thailand flooding.

 

Medical Devices. Sales in 2013 increased 15% to $281.7 million from $244.1 million in 2012 primarily as a result of new programs and the impact of the Suntron and CTS acquisitions.

 

Testing and Instrumentation Products. Sales in 2013 increased 17% to $195.2 million from $166.2 million in 2012 as a result of improvement in the semiconductor industry and the impact of the Suntron and CTS acquisitions.

 

During 2013 and 2012, 51% and 50%, respectively, of our sales were from our international operations.

 

We had a backlog of approximately $1.7 billion at December 31, 2013, as compared to the 2012 year-end backlog of $1.5 billion.

 

Gross Profit

 

Gross profit increased 6% to $186.5 million for 2013 from $176.7 million in 2012 due primarily to an increase in sales. Our 2013 gross profit as a percentage of sales increased to 7.4% from 7.2% in 2012 primarily due to changes in the mix of programs and the impact of the acquisitions.

 

 

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased to $99.3 million in 2013 from $90.0 million in 2012. Selling, general and administrative expenses, as a percentage of sales, were 4.0% and 3.6%, respectively, for 2013 and 2012. The increase in selling, general and administrative expenses is primarily associated with the Suntron and CTS acquisitions. 

 

Restructuring Charges

 

We recognized $9.3 million in restructuring charges and integration and acquisition-related costs during 2013 primarily related to the closure of our Brazil and Singapore facilities and the acquisitions of Suntron and CTS.

 

Thailand Flood-Related Items

 

During 2013, Thailand flood related items resulted in a gain of $41.3 million including $41.2 million of insurance proceeds.

 

Asset Impairment Charge and Other

 

We recognized a non-cash asset impairment charge of $3.8 million related to our facility in Tianjin, China in 2013. Also in 2013, we disposed of a non-manufacturing facility in Thailand for $1.6 million resulting in a gain of $1.2 million.

 

Income Tax Expense

 

Income tax expense of $5.0 million represented an effective tax rate of 4.3% for 2013, compared with $18.8 million that represented an effective tax rate of 25.0% for 2012. In 2013, we recorded a discrete U.S. tax benefit of $17.5 million related to reduced valuation allowance on U.S. net operating losses and other deferred tax assets and a discrete tax benefit of approximately $0.8 million related to the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA) consisting of research and experimentation credits and decreases in U.S. taxable income related to previously taxed foreign transactions. The ATRA retroactively restored the research and experimentation credit and other U.S. income tax benefits for 2012 and extends these provisions through the end of 2013. In 2012, we recorded a $0.5 million tax expense related to changes in tax rates in foreign jurisdictions. Excluding these tax items, the effective tax rate would have been 20.1% in 2013 compared to 24.3% in 2012. The decrease in the effective tax rate is primarily a result of higher taxable income in Thailand as a result of the flood related items. See Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Report.

 

Net Income

 

We reported net income of $111.2 million, or $2.03 per diluted share for 2013, compared with net income of $56.6 million, or $1.00 per diluted share for 2012. The net increase of $54.6 million in 2013 was due to the factors discussed above.

 

 

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

 

We have historically financed our growth and operations through funds generated from operations and proceeds from the sale and maturity of our investments. Cash and cash equivalents totaled $427.4 million at December 31, 2014 and $345.6 million at December 31, 2013, of which $333.3 million at December 31, 2014 and $307.3 million at December 31, 2013 was held outside the U.S. in various foreign subsidiaries. Substantially all of the amounts held outside of the U.S. are intended to be permanently reinvested in foreign operations. Under current tax laws and regulations, if cash and cash equivalents held outside the U.S. were to be distributed to the U.S. in the form of dividends or otherwise, we would be subject to additional U.S. income taxes and foreign withholding taxes.

 

Cash provided by operating activities was $136.7 million in 2014, which included $1.1 million of Thailand flood insurance recoveries. The cash provided by operations during 2014 consisted primarily of $82.4 million of net income adjusted for $46.4 million of depreciation and amortization, and a $37.9 million decrease in accounts receivable, offset by a $36.6 million decrease in accounts payable. The decrease in accounts receivable was primarily driven by the decline in fourth quarter sales from 2013 to 2014. The decrease in accounts payable in 2014 is a result of lower fourth quarter activity in 2014 compared to 2013. Working capital was $1.0 billion at December 31, 2014 and $0.9 billion at December 31, 2013.

 

We are continuing the practice of purchasing components only after customer orders or forecasts are received, which mitigates, but does not eliminate, the risk of loss on inventories. Supplies of electronic components and other materials used in operations are subject to industry-wide shortages. In certain instances, suppliers may allocate available quantities to us. If shortages of these components and other material supplies used in operations occur, vendors may not ship the quantities we need for production and we may be forced to delay shipments, which would increase backorders and therefore impact cash flows.

 

Cash used in investing activities was $27.5 million in 2014 primarily due to the purchases of additional property, plant and equipment totaling $44.2 million offset by $10.3 million from the redemption of investments. Purchases of additional property, plant and equipment were primarily of machinery and equipment in the Americas.

 

Cash used in financing activities was $24.9 million in 2014. Share repurchases totaled $43.8 million, and we received $18.9 million from the exercise of stock options.

 

Under the terms of a credit agreement (the Credit Agreement), we have a $200.0 million five-year revolving credit facility to be used for general corporate purposes with a maturity date of July 30, 2017. The Credit Agreement includes an accordion feature under which total commitments under the facility may be increased by an additional $100 million, subject to satisfaction of certain conditions and lender approval. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, we had no borrowings outstanding under the Credit Agreement, $1.2 million and $0.8 million, respectively, in outstanding letters of credit and $198.8 million and $199.2 million, respectively, was available for future borrowings. See Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Report for more information regarding the terms of the Credit Agreement.

 

Our operations, and the operations of businesses we acquire, are subject to certain foreign, federal, state and local regulatory requirements relating to environmental, waste management, health and safety matters. We believe we operate in substantial compliance with all applicable requirements and we seek to ensure that newly acquired businesses comply or will comply substantially with applicable requirements. To date, the costs of compliance and workplace and environmental remediation have not been material to us. However, material costs and liabilities may arise from these requirements or from new, modified or more stringent requirements in the future. In addition, our past, current and future operations, and the operations of businesses we have or may acquire, may give rise to claims of exposure by employees or the public, or to other claims or liabilities relating to environmental, waste management or health and safety concerns.

 

As of December 31, 2014, we had cash and cash equivalents totaling $427.4 million and $198.8 million available for

 

borrowings under the Credit Agreement. During the next twelve months, we believe our capital expenditures will be approximately $45 million to $55 million, principally for machinery and equipment to support our ongoing business around the globe.

 

On both December 4, 2014 and June 13, 2012, our Board of Directors approved the repurchase of up to $100 million of our outstanding common shares (the 2014 Repurchase Program and the 2012 Repurchase Program, respectively). As of December 31, 2014, we have $100.0 million and $3.1 million, respectively, remaining under the 2014 and 2012 Repurchase Programs to repurchase additional shares. We are under no commitment or obligation to repurchase any particular amount of common shares. Management believes that our existing cash balances and funds generated from operations will be sufficient to permit us to meet our liquidity requirements over the next twelve months. Management further believes that our ongoing cash flows from operations and any borrowings we may incur under our credit facilities will enable us to meet operating cash requirements in future years. Should we desire to consummate significant acquisition opportunities, our capital needs would increase and could possibly result in our need to increase available borrowings under our Credit Agreement or access public or private debt and equity markets. There can be no assurance, however, that we would be successful in raising additional debt or equity on terms that we would consider acceptable. 

 

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

 

Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Our significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Report. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to accounts receivable, inventories, income taxes, long-lived assets, stock-based compensation and contingencies and litigation. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates. We believe the following critical accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

Our accounts receivable balance is recorded net of allowances for amounts not expected to be collected from our customers. Because our accounts receivable are typically unsecured, we periodically evaluate the collectibility of our accounts based on a combination of factors, including a particular customer’s ability to pay as well as the age of the receivables. To evaluate a specific customer’s ability to pay, we analyze financial statements, payment history and various information or disclosures by the customer or other publicly available information. In cases where the evidence suggests a customer may not be able to satisfy its obligation to us, we establish a specific allowance in an amount we determine appropriate for the perceived risk. If the financial condition of our customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required.

 

Inventory obsolescence

 

We purchase inventory based on forecasted demand and record inventory at the lower of cost or market. We write down inventory for estimated obsolescence as necessary in an amount equal to the difference between the cost of inventory and estimated market value based on assumptions of future demands and market conditions. We evaluate our inventory valuation on a quarterly basis based on current and forecasted usage and the latest forecasts of product demand and production requirements from our customers. Customers frequently make changes to their forecasts, which requires us to make changes to our inventory purchases, commitments, and production scheduling and may require us to cancel open purchase commitments with our vendors. This process may lead to on-hand inventory

 

quantities and on-order purchase commitments that are in excess of our customers’ revised needs, or parts that become obsolete before use in production. We write down excess and obsolete inventory when we determine that our customers are not responsible for it, or if we believe our customers will be unable to fulfill their obligation to ultimately purchase it. If actual market conditions are less favorable than those we projected, additional inventory write-downs may be required.

 

Income Taxes

 

We estimate our income tax provision in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate, including estimating exposures related to uncertain tax positions. We must also make judgments regarding the ability to realize the deferred tax assets. We record a valuation allowance to reduce our deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. Our valuation allowance as of December 31, 2014 of $36.7 million primarily relates to deferred tax assets from our United States federal and state net operating loss tax carryforwards of $30.4 million (federal losses are primarily acquired and subject to Internal Revenue Code Section 382 limitations), foreign net operating loss tax carryforwards of $9.9 million, and United States federal and state tax credit carryforwards of $7.1 million.

 

Differences in our future operating results as compared to the estimates utilized in the determination of the valuation allowances could result in adjustments in valuation allowances in future periods. For example, a significant increase in our operations in the United States, future accretive acquisitions in the United States and any movement in the mix of profits from our international operations to the United States would result in a reduction in the valuation allowance and would increase income in the period such determination was made. Alternatively, significant economic downturns in the United States generating additional operating loss carryforwards and potential movements in the mix of profits to international locations would result in an increase in the valuation allowance and would decrease income in the period such determination was made.

 

During 2013 and 2011, we evaluated the recoverability of our deferred tax assets using the criteria described above and concluded that our projected future taxable income in the U.S. is sufficient to utilize additional net operating loss carryforwards and other deferred tax assets. As a result, we reduced our U.S. valuation allowance by $17.5 million and $19.1 million, respectively, in 2013 and 2011.

 

We are subject to examination by tax authorities for varying periods in various U.S. and foreign tax jurisdictions. During the course of such examinations, disputes may occur as to matters of fact and/or law. In most tax jurisdictions the passage of time without examination will result in the expiration of applicable statutes of limitations, thereby precluding the taxing authority from conducting an examination of the tax period(s) for which such statute of limitations has expired. We believe that we have adequately provided for our tax liabilities.

 

Our subsidiary in Thailand has filed for a refund of $7.9 million of previously paid income taxes for years 2004 and 2005, which is included in other assets. The Thai tax authorities conducted an initial examination of the applicable refund filings, and in 2011, we recorded a reserve for uncertain tax benefits of $7.1 million against this refund claim. In 2012, we received official notification that the tax authorities had rejected our refund claim. We have appealed the rejected claim and are awaiting the tax authorities’ decision.

 

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Goodwill

 

Long-lived assets, such as property, plant, and equipment, and purchased intangibles subject to amortization, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. The recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated undiscounted future cash flows, an impairment charge would be recognized by the amount that the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset.

 

 

Goodwill is tested for impairment on an annual basis, at a minimum, and whenever events and circumstances that the carrying amount may be impaired. Circumstances that may lead to the impairment of goodwill include unforeseen decreases in future performance or industry demand or the restructuring of our operations as a result of a change in our business strategy. We perform a qualitative assessment to determine if goodwill is potentially impaired. If the qualitative assessment indicates that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, or if we elect to not perform a qualitative assessment, then we would be required to perform a quantitative impairment test for goodwill. This two-step process involves determining the fair values of the reporting units and comparing those fair values to the carrying values, including goodwill, of the reporting unit. An impairment loss would be recognized to the extent that the carrying amount exceeds the asset’s fair value. For purposes of performing our goodwill impairment assessment, our reporting units are the same as our operating segments as defined in Note 13  to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Report. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, we had goodwill of approximately $46.0 million and $44.7 million, respectively, associated with our Americas and Asia business segments.

 

Based on our qualitative assessment of goodwill as of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, we concluded that it was more likely than not that the fair value of our Americas and Asia business segments were greater than their carrying amounts, and therefore no further testing was required.

 

Changes in economic and operating conditions that occur after the annual impairment analysis or an interim impairment analysis, and that impact these assumptions, may result in a future goodwill impairment charge.

 

Stock-Based Compensation

 

We recognize stock-based compensation expense in our consolidated statements of income. The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Option-pricing models require the input of subjective assumptions, including the expected life of the option and the expected stock price volatility. Judgment is also required in estimating the number of stock-based awards that are expected to vest as a result of satisfaction of time-based vesting schedules. If actual results or future changes in estimates differ significantly from our current estimates, stock-based compensation could increase or decrease. For performance-based restricted stock unit awards, compensation expense is based on the probability that the performance goals will be achieved, which is monitored by management throughout the requisite service period. If it becomes probable, based on our expectation of performance during the measurement period, that more or less than the previous estimate of the awarded shares will vest, an adjustment to stock-based compensation expense is recognized as a change in accounting estimate. See Note 1(m) to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Report.

 

Recently Enacted Accounting Principles

 

See Note 1(q) to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Report for a discussion of recently enacted accounting principles.

 

CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS

 

We have certain contractual obligations that extend out beyond 2015 under lease obligations and debt arrangements. Non-cancelable purchase commitments do not typically extend beyond the normal lead-time of several weeks. Purchase orders beyond this time frame are typically cancelable. We do not utilize off-balance sheet financing techniques other than traditional operating leases and we have not guaranteed the obligations of any entity that is not one of our wholly owned subsidiaries. The total contractual cash obligations in existence at December 31, 2014 due pursuant to contractual commitments are:

 

 

 

The amount of unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2014 including interest and penalties was $18.0 million. We have not provided a detailed estimate of the timing of future cash outflows associated with the liabilities recognized in this balance due to the uncertainty of when the related tax settlements may become due. See Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Report.

 

OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS

 

As of December 31, 2014, we did not have any significant off-balance sheet arrangements. See Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Report.

 

Item 7A.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

 

Our international sales comprise a significant portion of our net sales. We are exposed to risks associated with operating internationally, including:

 

•     Foreign currency exchange risk;

•     Import and export duties, taxes and regulatory changes;

•     Inflationary economies or currencies; and

•     Economic and political instability.

 

Additionally, some of our operations are in developing countries. Certain events, including natural disasters, can impact the infrastructure of a developing country more severely than they would impact the infrastructure of a developed country. A developing country can also take longer to recover from such events, which could lead to delays in our ability to resume full operations.

 

We do not use derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. As of December 31, 2014, we did not have any foreign currency hedges. In the future, significant transactions involving our international operations may cause us to consider engaging in hedging transactions to attempt to mitigate our exposure to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. These exposures relate primarily to vendor payments and customer receivable balances in currencies other than the primary currency generated and used by our foreign operations and our net investment in foreign operations. Some of our international operations operate in a natural hedge because both operating expenses and a portion of sales are denominated in local currency. Our sales are substantially denominated in U.S. dollars. Our foreign currency cash flows are generated in certain Asian and European countries and Mexico.

 

We are also exposed to market risk for changes in interest rates, a portion of which relates to our invested cash balances. We do not use derivative financial instruments in our investing activities. We place cash and cash equivalents and investments with various major financial institutions. We protect our invested principal funds by limiting default risk, market risk and reinvestment risk. We mitigate default risk by generally investing in investment grade securities.

 

Item 8.  Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.